Wednesday, September 27th, 2023

Dear Friend,

I wanted to share that at yesterday's Board of Supervisor's meeting, we held a a public hearing on the County and Schools' FY 2023 Carryover Review to amend the appropriation level in the FY 2024 Revised Budget Plan, and after that we approved the recommendations included in Fairfax County and FCPS FY 2023 Carryover Review.

The Board of Supervisors also approved the Parking Reimagined Project. The project has focused on reviewing and modernizing the off-street parking and loading requirements for new development and redevelopment in the County. Approved changes include tiered parking with rate reductions in transit areas, residential right-sizing, streamlined loading requirements and new requirements for bicycle parking.

I'm proud to share that I'm partnering with Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services to offer the Franconia District Neighborhood College. Applications must be submitted by October 9th, 2023. More details are shared in the newsletter.

I hope you are enjoying the fall weather and take advantage of all the fall festivals, events, and foliage.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my office.

Email: Franconia@fairfaxcounty.gov

Phone 703-971-6262

View as Webpage

Table of Contents

Things To Do This October in Fairfax County
Fort Belvoir's Oktoberfest 9/28-10/1
All About Trees: Fall Foliage Viewing, Planting and More
Car Taxes are Due 10/5
Venture into Volunteering Fair
Franconia District Neighborhood College

Out and About in Franconia

158th Firefighter Recruit School Graduation
Smashburger Opening

The 25th Annual Oktoberfest will be held September 28 - October 1, 2023!

Fort Belvoir’s Family and MWR hosts one of the most anticipated events of the year: the 25th annual Oktoberfest. Located at Fremont Field on Fort Belvoir, Oktoberfest is a four-day festival that highlights authentic German cuisine, beverages, music, and dancing.

Enjoy an exciting carnival, Volksmarch 5K/10K Walk and much more. This is a fun-filled event geared toward the whole family! Learn more here.

All About Trees: Fall Foliage Viewing, Planting and More

October is Native Tree month! Celebrate native trees in October (plantnovatrees.org)
Fall is the best time to plant trees, preferably native trees.
Find best locations to view fall foliage.
Learn how to protect the millions of trees in our county.

Vehicle Taxes are due Oct. 5, and paying online is quick, easy and free when using an e-check. Vehicle Taxes Due October 5 | Tax Administration (fairfaxcounty.gov)

Venture into Volunteering Fair

"The Beacon 50+ Expos" is proud to partner with the Fairfax County "Ventures into Volunteering" fair, an annual event showcasing multiple government agencies and nonprofits that offer exciting volunteer opportunities and promote an engaged lifestyle. This event will take place at Springfield Towne Center on October 15, 2023 from 12-4 pm. Click here for more info..

Fairfax County Will Hold Two Virtual Community Meetings on Prioritizing Active Transportation Projects for Funding

Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) has developed a proposed list of projects that will be narrowed down further with input from the community to receive a portion of $100 million funding allocated by the Board of Supervisors. To fund safer active transportation facilities, the Board approved $100 million in new funding for one-time investments in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure through FY 2027. To date, 30.2 million of the dedicated $100 million has been allocated for active transportation improvements and maintenance.

Attend Virtual Community Meetings to Learn How Current List of Projects Was Developed

FCDOT will hold two virtual community meetings to present how the current list of projects was developed, including the methodology and criteria staff used to select projects for consideration. The project list was narrowed down from a list of over 2000 unfunded projects to 317. To further narrow down projects for the third round of funding, public input is sought from the community through an online survey.

Tuesday, October 3, 2023, 7 p.m.

Join the Meeting
Join by Phone: 571-429-5982; Access Code: 802892823#
View the Presentation (will be posted on October 3)
View the Recorded Meeting (will be posted here on October 5)

Thursday, October 5, 2023, 12 p.m.

Join the Meeting
Phone: 571-429-5982; Access Code: 453571439#
View the Recorded Meeting (will be posted here on October 9)

View Projects in Interactive Map and Provide Feedback in Online Survey (Opens Oct. 3)

Review the projects in your neighborhood, search for projects on an interactive map (available Oct. 3), and see criteria used to develop project lists before you take the online survey, open from October 3-16, 2023. View projects, interactive map and take the survey (begins October 3).

Franconia District Neighborhood College

Fairfax County’s Neighborhood College is a FREE six-session certificate program open to Franconia District residents.

Sessions will feature guest speakers, interactive activities, breakout room discussions, networking opportunities and information about advisory boards and other volunteer opportunities.

Highlights will include information about:

Fairfax County Government Overview
Office of Code Enforcement
Fairfax County Transportation
Franconia District Police Department & Mount Vernon District Police Department

Classes will be held virtually on consecutive Thursday evenings. (November 9th and 16th) will be in person at Bush Hill Elementary School.

Oct. 12 - Nov. 16, 2023 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Apply online at: https://bit.ly/FranconiaNC

Applications must be submitted by Monday, Oct. 9, 2023.

Out and About

SMASHBURGER in Kingstowne is OPEN

I visited the new Smashburger in Kingstowne for lunch this week. I am glad to see them join the thriving Kingstowne Towne Center!

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department's 158th Recruit School Graduation

I was honored to attend the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department's 158th recruit school graduation. These new firefighters were presented with their helmets at the ceremony. They went through an extensive, demanding, and fast paced 24-week program.

I want to personally welcome Krista L. Lancing to the Springfield Station and Troy E. J. Wittman to the Kingstowne Station.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (ICYMI)

Fairfax County has launched the 2023 Emergency Preparedness Survey to assess the culture of personal disaster preparedness and resilience in Fairfax County. How prepared are you? Survey link:

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/fd34b75072184e5daf72eb338421b3b9?portalUrl=https://Fairfaxcountygis.maps.arcgis.com

Early voting is happening now for the Nov. 7 general election.

Local and state offices are on the ballot:

Board of Supervisors (Chairman and all districts)
School Board (At Large and all districts)
Commonwealth’s Attorney
Sheriff
Virginia House of Delegates and Senate (All districts)
Clerk of the Court
Towns of Clifton and Vienna (Mayor and Town Council)
Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District

There is also a $435 million public school bond on the ballot. If approved, the public schools’ plans include using this money to plan and design, renovate and build schools.

EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS

Three locations are open for early voting on weekdays starting Sept. 22:

Fairfax County Government Center: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Mount Vernon Governmental Center: 1 to 7 p.m.
North County Governmental Center: 1 to 7 p.m.

Before going to vote, please double check the hours early voting sites are open because times vary by location.

Any registered voter can cast their ballot at any early voting site. The last day to vote early is Saturday, Nov. 4, at 5 p.m.

Early Voting Begins Sept. 22 for the Nov. 7 General Election | News Center (fairfaxcounty.gov)

High School Students - Call for Volunteer Election Pages

Are you a high school student who wants to get engaged in elections? We need students ages 16 or older to serve as pages at polling places on Tuesday, Nov. 7. You'll make a real difference for our democracy. Apply by Sept. 29:

Elections Officers Needed for the General Election November 7th

Fairfax County Office needs election officers for the November 7^th General Election and the 2024 elections. Compensation begins at $250 and training is provided online and in-person for new officers. More information on serving as a Fairfax County election officer can be found here. Apply today.

There is also a need for bilingual Virginia voters who speak Vietnamese and English or Korean and English to serve in the Annandale, Centreville, Chantilly, and Falls Church areas. To serve as a designated bilingual election officer, you must also complete a short oral language skills assessment. More information on serving as a language election officer can be found here.